Lenovo Vibe S1 Hands on Overview And Features

Lenovo has steadily earned a reputation for being an innovative company. The Chinese manufacturer always has something new, original and quirky in its Vibe series. This year it is the Vibe S1, which managed to draw many heads, thanks to the dual front cameras. Let’s discuss.

Key Specs

Model

Lenovo Vibe S1

Display

5 inch 1080p Full HD, 441 PPI

Processor

1.7GHz MediaTek MT6752 Octa Core

RAM

3GB

OS

Android 5.0 Lollipop Based Vibe UI

Storage

32GB, Expandable up to 128GB

Primary Camera

13MP, Dual LED flash

Secondary Camera

8MP Front, 2MP Depth sensor

Battery

2500 mAh

Price

$299

Lenovo Vibe S1 Photo Gallery

Physical Overview

Lenovo Vibe S1 is a selfie centric phone and has dual front cameras, but don’t expect a weird ‘Eye’ like implementation. Lenovo has kept things subtle and the camera setup, though being conspicuous, isn’t ‘in your face – obvious’.

The rest of the smartphone also has been meticulously crafted. The handset includes a metal trim bezel which makes it sturdy, has a compact footprint and a gently curved glass back, which feels kind of glossy, but premium. The 5 Inch full HD display is also surprisingly good. The handset feels sturdy and comfortable when held in hand.

Camera Overview

The primary focus here is the front 8MP camera, paired with a 2MP depth sensor, and together both of these allow you to defocus background in your images, post clicking. A slider is present which lets you decide the exact amount of blurring.

Dual cameras, more often than not, prove gimmicky in the long run. Lenovo is the first manufacturer to implement this at the front, and will benefit from all the attention that come along, especially from selfie enthusiasts (and there is no dearth of those). We found the feature works pretty well and is rather cool too, but we still feel this is one of those things which would fade away into oblivion once the novelty wears off. Even if defocused selfies don’t particularly interest you, the quality of 8MP front camera seems pretty good, and thus Lenovo scores where it matters.

User Interface

Lenovo Vibe UI has Android 5.1.1 Lollipop as its base. Lenovo has made changes to iconography and other design elements too. There is no App drawer this time either, but since it is Android, there is always the option to customize using any simple third party launcher app.

Comparison

Getting down from the dual camera high horse, Vibe S1, is still a slick piece of machinery, with a lot to adore and admire. While Lenovo’s Vibe series is well renowned for competitive pricing, we would still wait for the India price tag before we stack it against other mid-range rivals.

Conclusion

Dual front camera or not, Lenovo Vibe S1 strikes to us as a slick, fresh, sturdy and impressive Vibe series smartphone. Our first impressions are mostly positive.

The Author spent a significant chunk of his formative years resisting technology. He now keeps an eye on where the world is heading to, and drives a passive pleasure from this indulgence. His passion to write, learn and improve drives him each day. When his day ends, he enjoys the pleasant languor and detoxifies with family. You can connect with him on Google+ and Twitter